


Pinpoint

by inatrice



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Realities, Criss Crossing Timelines, M/M, Post-War, Sick Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 17:23:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13529025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inatrice/pseuds/inatrice
Summary: There is a theory surrounding the alternate realities, that sometimes they cross over a single point in time. This is one of those moments, spanning four realities.----AKA how many times can I over analyze a single staff drawing thank you for my life Kihyun Ryu





	Pinpoint

**Author's Note:**

> This was literally all done on my phone so I'm so sorry if there are weird formatting errors. I even posted this on my phone;;;
> 
> Anyway, I'm back on my limited editing, non betad bullshit and I'm sorry. Once again I was overcome with sheith emotion and needed an outlet. Pls bear wi th me I'm dying

_ A stack of notes sits perilously on one of the surfaces of Slav's room. Within them is a detailed theory of how alternate realities and alternate timelines exist in and amongst each other. Rarely do they intersect, but sometimes multiple decide to overlap at a single point in time. Nothing much connects them other than the actors involved, a single action, and a few details surrounding this action. He calls this a Pinpoint.  _

* * *

The door hisses open. Keith sees exactly the man he was looking for. Shiro stares up at the star map, frowning at the two red dots amongst all the green. Shiro keeps saying they're on the verge of a breakthrough, and by the looks of his stiff shoulders it still hasn't made itself clear. He should be in bed, it's been  _ hours _ .

Keith steps in, worried look on his face as usual. 

 

“Shiro.”

 

There's simply a sigh in response. “Just give me a few more minutes.”

 

Keith can't help but give a frustrated growl. “What is a few more minutes going to do Shiro? The planet's won't move more than their orbits during a sleep cycle.”

 

Shiro sighs again. Keith can feel the exhaustion coming off of him in waves. He wants this to be over just as much as Shiro does. He wants to be able to relax for half a second, something they haven't been able to do since they left Earth’s atmosphere months ago.

 

“We can't help them if we're too exhausted to stand Shiro.” He says quietly. He steps farther into the room as Shiro shakes his head. He can imagine the soft smile on Shiro's lips. 

 

“Using my own logic against me.” He mutters as Keith wraps his arms around his middle. Shiro had given him a similar lecture at the Garrison when Keith was running himself ragged trying to keep up his studies, his SIM scores, his training for the fighter plane. “That's hardly fair.”

 

“Things rarely are in love and war, Shiro.”

 

Shiro's hands cover his for a moment, squeeze gently, a small reassurance that he knows what Keith is doing and that he’ll play along soon enough.

 

At the affirmation, Keith presses a kiss into Shiro's shoulder. “You have two minutes.”

 

Shiro's hand comes up to mess with the star map again. “We're going to help them, Keith. We're going to win.” He moves the star map a few light years to the right, centering the nearest Galra fleet. “We have to.” His hand clenches in the space between them and the map.

 

Keith can't help but feel a surge of pride and love. He can't believe he's anywhere near this amazing man. And he's allowed to love him. He raises a hand to caress Shiro's cheek, momentarily overcome. There's a huff of laughter and Shiro turns in his arms and takes him in his strong embrace. They take a moment to indulge and share a soft, sweet kiss.

 

“Alright baby. Let's go get some sleep.”

* * *

Shiro is staring at the star map. Again. Pidge told him it's where he spends most of his time now. Keith enters silently. He's always moved with stealth but his Blade training has only upped his skills. He's not even sure Shiro had heard the soft hiss of the door until he's a foot away and Shiro's voice suddenly sounds.

 

“I'll be done in a minute.”

 

Keith’s shoulders tighten at the stiffness in Shiro's voice. “How do you know I was here to tell you to go to bed?”

 

“Because it's essentially 4 in the morning. This is the eighth day I've been here this late. They finally called you back to see if you could wrangle me back into some sort of healthy habit.”

 

Keith looks to the floor, a short sigh leaving him. He was exactly right. “They have a point, Shiro. You need to rest. They need you to be strong. The connection to Black takes a lot out of you, too. If you want to keep forming Voltron-"

 

“ _ I know _ .” He hisses, cutting Keith off harshly. He sighs at the stunned silence that stretches between them. “I know.” He says again, softer this time. “That’s all they’ve been telling me...lately.”

 

_ Since you left _ . The return to silence says.

 

Though only a foot physically separates them, Keith can feel the void that sits between them growing, it’s black maw gobbling up every disagreement, every wrong emotion, every difference that made itself obvious since Shiro’s second return. Keith presses his lips together, fighting against the sudden soreness in his throat. He swallows a few times, hoping his voice won’t break. “It doesn’t change the fact that they want you healthy, Shiro.”

 

“So they bring in my trump card to get me to listen?”

 

“No!” Keith grinds out. Is that all he is now? “They called in someone who you used to love in an effort to help you!”

 

Shiro doesn’t answer. He just stays stoic, standing there without moving. Keith can’t even tell if he’s really looking at the star map anymore.

 

Keith surges forward, lost as to what else to do at this point. He can’t stand this distance. He can’t stand that they’ve changed. He can’t stand that Shiro is destroying himself. He viciously wraps his arms around Shiro’s torso, pressing up against the solidity of his back, fighting tooth and nail against that void. “I thought you were okay with me going to the Blades?”

 

“I am.”

 

Keith turns his head to the side, face turning red with the effort of keeping the tears at bay. “Then fucking act like it! You can’t let yourself go for someone like me, Shiro. I’m collateral at this point, but they need  _ you _ .”

 

Only silence meets him, again. It’s his newest friend out here and now the one who knows him most intimately. He feels Shiro move his right hand up, finally messing with the star map again. As a last ditch effort, Keith raises his own hand and reaches up to cradle Shiro’s cheek. Maybe a reminder of what they used to share will break through to him.

He feels more than hears the sigh, strong shoulders that are holding the fate of the universe dropping in their own form of defeat. “Give me five minutes.”

 

The dismissal is loud and clear. Keith extracts himself from his old friend, feeling no closer than he had when he entered. He wants to say something, anything to repair the bridge between them, but the void below it is hungry and one wrong move will leave him falling. He turns and leaves the room.

* * *

There’s a solemn air as he enters the room. It’s his least favorite room in the newly built Castle on the planet that had offered to house the Paladins of Voltron after their victory. He’s only been in here twice though it’s the most popular room to the public. Dressed in the red finery that the locals had spun for him, Keith steps silently into the room, staring at the back of the silhouette that he knows so well. “Hey Shiro.” He whispers, though there's isn't a real reason to be so quiet. “A lot’s been happening lately. I'm glad I always know where to find you.” He can only laugh at the silence the greets him, though it holds no mirth.

 

“We struck up another peace treaty today, Pidge's doing this time around.” He folds his arms over his chest as he creeps closer to his friend. “I thought you would be particularly proud of that. They're all really coming into their own as politicians.” There's another chuckle and this time it's born of a slight exasperation. “Even  _ I've _ been able to help mediate a few peace talks.” He looks down at his feet as he stops just behind Shiro. “But I guess having the weight of the title Paladin helps.”

 

Keith sniffs and rests his forehead against the solid mass in front of him. “You should be in these talks with us, you would be amazing at this stuff. Not just standing here at the star map.”

 

Shiro doesn't answer. He never does these days.

 

Keith carefully wraps his arms around Shiro's waist. They stand there in silence, together for the time being. It's never for very long anymore, as busy as they've been. Shiro stands and entertains those who want to know more about the war and the Paladins themselves; while Keith toils away behind closed doors, meeting with endless heads of state and political leaders. 

 

He's finding post-war isn't all he thought it would be.

 

With a sigh, Keith turns his head to the side as tears slip down his face. “I miss you every day.” He whispers.

 

Hesitantly, Keith raises his hand. He presses it carefully to Shiro's cheek. “I still love you.”

 

The chill of the bronze beneath his fingers shoots through his arm, chilling his heart just as the deafening silence from the statue always does.

 

“You should be here, Shiro.” Keith tells him quietly. “It's not the same without you. I feel like I'm floating without a lifeline. And all I can do now is look at you here.”

 

Shiro's statue doesn't respond, it never does. Keith still hates the silence.

 

A small noise comes from behind him. “Keith?”

 

With a defeated breath, Keith pulls his arms away from the bronze vision of the man he loves and turns to see Hunk standing just inside the doorway. “Doing okay, buddy?”

 

“Yeah,” Keith sighs, stepping down off the platform and towards his friend. “Just wanted to see him again.”

 

Hunk throws an arm over his shoulders and leads him back through the doorway. “I know we've had this conversation before, but, you know he'd want you to keep living. Your life shouldn't stop just because his did.”

 

Keith looks over to Hunk and gives him a weak smile. “I know. Thanks for reminding me.”

* * *

The gentle hiss of the door doesn't interrupt the briefing. Keith's unusually heavy steps towards the star map only earn him a concerned glare from Coran who is standing behind the princess. The other Paladins are seated at the conference table, an empty place where Keith should be, if he wasn't afflicted with such a fever.

 

Shiro is standing in the space between the two tables, between the Paladins and the Rebel and freshly liberated Coalition leaders, pointing out their strategic positions on the star map. It's only when Keith steps even closer to the Black Paladin that Kolivan solidifies from the shadows to put a hand on Keith's shoulder to stop his progress.

 

Keith makes a noise that Allura will later call undignified, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, and pushes Kolivan’s enormous paw off of him.

 

Shiro turns and his expression immediately softens. He glances back at the conference. “Excuse me for just a moment.” He steps down and towards Keith’s bedraggled form. “Hey,” He whispers, now putting his own hands on Keith's shoulders. “You're supposed to be in bed resting.”

 

Keith frowns and moves forward to press his face into Shiro's chest. “I can't rest when you're here working.” Keith tells him with a muffled voice.

 

“Well, we're almost done here. Do you think you can wait about twenty minutes?”

 

Keith shakes his head.

 

“No? Can you at least wait five for me to finish making my point?”

 

Keith shakes his head again, drawing a soft laugh from the other man.

 

“Did you know you're the most stubborn man I've ever met?” Shiro asks him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

 

This time, Keith nods and Shiro laughs again. “Well, good at least you know.” He looks over Keith’s head to Kolivan and rolls his eyes lightly. Kolivan backs off and Shiro turns, wrapping Keith’s arms around his waist and leading him back up to the dais. “Apologies, friends. One of our Paladins is sick but still wants to be included in the talks. He's very dedicated.” 

 

Shiro ignores the giggles coming from the Paladin table, and the comment about his own ass, and continues his point about making contact with some of the planets that the Galra didn't have as strong a hold on and recruiting them. 

 

When he finishes speaking, the representative from one of the planets their Naxela stunt had freed, raised their hand.

 

“Black Paladin, I understand the motives, but how can we be certain they will not either disregard your help or report your moves to Zarkon?”

 

“That's a risk we have to be willing to take.” Shiro tells him diplomatically, raising a hand to localize their first targeted planet. “We can't force anyone to accept our help. And we have to be strategic with the information we share and with who. Our goal is-"

 

He freezes, letting out a confused noise as Keith’s hand slaps weakly against his cheek, barely missing his mouth.

 

“You said you'd finish your point.” Keith says deliriously.

 

Shiro gives Allura a silent plea for help and she stands from her place at the table to take over. Shiro takes Keith’s hand off of his face and gently guides him towards the door. “Okay, baby. Let's get you back to your room.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hate me. I sandwiched the sad ones bebetween the happy ones. I love you for reading this. Thank you.
> 
> Please come yell at me for this hot steaming garbage on Twitter @inatrice


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